Myths about Asperger's

Post Reply New Topic

Here are some:

People with Asperger's are ret*d. (yeah, most annoying one)

People with Asperger's can't live independently.

All people with Asperger's don't like being around people.

That aspies are unnecessarily mean, or uniformly unlikeable

Lacks Empathy - too vague and broad
Intense Focus - depending on whether ADHD is part of the picture
Excells at logic, math, engineering, programming - I wish
Is always good looking - Is sometimes good looking

Cannot read facial expressions - sometimes
Good public speakers - not always
Has charisma - fluctuates
Doesn't express feelings - overloads
Has artistic skills - inconsistently
Doesn't like kids
Has a photographic memory

Can use special skills to make loads of money
Is naive
Cannot be cunning
Has no sense of humor
Doesn't get metaphorical language, symbolism and meaning (sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, you have to admit that)
Is insane
Is capable of terrible acts
Cannot be a brilliant writer
Isn't creative
Totally lacks imagination
Cannot handle experiences like rock concerts
Has loads of sensory issues - has some sensory issues
Dresses horribly
Dislikes fashion and trends - very untrue
Is very limited in life
Cannot have friends
Doesn't have good dental hygiene

Last edited by ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo on 03 Oct 2008, 11:16 am, edited 2 times in total.

am started a thread some time ago with all the myths and stereotypes of autism and AS-
http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt65332.html

--People with Asperger's can't live independently.
if that had said all in front of people,then that would be a myth,but there are many aspies out there who cannot,and will never live independantly because of how severe and/or lower functioning they are.

People with Asperger's can't be humorous (this one really has to die)
Everyone with Asperger's manifests their symptoms in the same way
Asperger's is "mild" Autism
Everyone with Asperger's has an above-average IQ
People with Asperger's are above doing illegal/morally reprehensible things
People with Asperger's don't lie (ug!)
People with Asperger's are always logical

We have savant abilities. Thanks, Rainman ! !!

Asperger's is "mild" Autism

That's not a myth.

As of now it is. Well, that's if one listens to Gillberg, Attwood, Lorna Wing, etcetera.

People with Asperger's can have greater deficits in human relatedness and empathy than someone with Autism (LFA/HFA), for example. This equates to a greater level of "Autism".

Where are my superpowers?

You people keep picking on myths mentioned in some website while there are tons of myths created here everyday.

Now that you mention it, that does happen sometimes.

how about "people under the spectrum do not lie" thats a funny one

All people with aspergers/autism are these un-touchable alien beings. Everything they do is an absolute mystery.

If they want to know why an autistic person is doing a certain movement, or talking about a certain special interest, then why don't they just ask? we don't bite.

There's nothing "mild" about anything on the autistic spectrum. People with Asperger's may be high-functioning in comparison to people with Kanner's (allthough in some cases it's hard to determine whether a person is HFA or Asperger's), and may even appear "normal", but we still have major problems with social interaction. Many of us (including me) are also somewhat disorganised.

I don't think most people here know the difference between empathy and sympathy, though. If a friend of me tells me that a relative has died, then of course I feel sorry for the person and wish him/her the best, but I don't feel sad myself. If I knew the person that died, however, I will feel sad.